Diamond League viewing figures soar

More people than ever before tuned in last summer to watch the world’s top athletes compete for the Diamond Trophy, as 2017 saw increased viewing figures across the world for the IAAF Diamond League.

In the inaugural year of its new championship format, the IAAF Diamond League saw hundreds of thousands more fans tune in to watch live coverage and highlights of the Road To The Final.

With the addition of Venezuela and South Korea in 2017, the series is now broadcast in 162 countries across the globe, spanning all six continents.

Global increase

2017 saw a total of 282 million viewers across the 14 meetings, an increase of around 60 million on the previous year.

Many of those were watching in China, where 23 million more viewers tune in compared to 2016. In Europe and the USA there was an also an increase, with nine million more Americans watching Diamond League coverage, and higher viewing figures in Finland, Germany and Spain.

Morocco, which became the first African country to host a Diamond League meeting when Rabat was added to the series in 2016, also enjoyed boosted viewing figures, with 41 million Moroccans tuning in across the series.

The highest viewing figures for a single meeting was around 27 million, while several other meetings reached 15 to 20 million viewers. Some meetings doubled or even tripled their viewership in comparison to 2016.

As well as live broadcasts and highlights packages, many fans were able to catch the Diamond League in news coverage from the likes of Reuters and SNTV, not to mention the array of clips on the IAAF Diamond League Youtube channel.

How to keep watching

For those fans looking to get their Diamond League fix this winter, the YouTube channel is the place to go for all last season’s highlights, as well as new compilations and off-track features.

On the 5th December, meanwhile, a 60 minute review of the 2017 season will be broadcast in over 20 countries.

We thank all of the millions of fans who tuned in to watch the 2017 Road To The Final, and look forward to bringing you all the action in 2018.